


rising in crescendo (ready to crash)

by vulpexin



Category: (G)I-DLE, Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, dragon shifter!taehyung, magician!jungkook, mermaid!yuqi, siren!yeri, who can do actual magic, wolf shifter!joy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 16:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14719770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpexin/pseuds/vulpexin
Summary: For as long as Yeri can remember, she has always carried the distinct scent of petrichor, has always felt this persistent tug in her gut that fluctuates with the rise and fall of the tides, but now she’s desperate to break free of the gravity that keeps her in orbit around the closest body of water.After years of searching, she stumbles into a coffee shop and realizes this: that the dark haired barista with an innate talent for latte art may be her only hope.





	rising in crescendo (ready to crash)

When Yeri finally emerges from the water, all hues of orange and red have faded from the sky, leaving it the color of dark velvet. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust, but the lights that surround the border of the lake provide a dim, if not scary, glow that’s bright enough for Yeri to see Yuqi wrapping a towel around her waist as she hauls herself out of the water in a clumsy, yet practiced movement. The transformation is instant; Yuqi’s fin, translucent light blue peeking out under from her towel, disappears to be replaced by her feet. Yuqi’s still a little shy about letting others see her naked—no transformation ever leaves clothes intact so it has become common to strip before any sort of transformation. Yeri and Sooyoung, on the other hand, are both way past the point of caring.

 

“Thank god for Ilgam Lake,” Yuqi says as she slips her shorts on and drops her towel. Yeri swims up to the edge as Yuqi stretches, moonlight reflecting off of the patches of scales on her side and spill onto her stomach. “Imagine if you had to go to Han River, like, twice a week.”

 

Yeri hums in agreement. Ever since the first supernatural being revealed themselves a little over a hundred years ago, leaders from all over the world have been working to promote unity between various supernatural beings and humans. Konkuk University, a popular choice among aquatic supernaturals, set an example when they allowed supernatural beings access to Ilgam Lake to prevent beings like mermaids and selkies from dying due to a lack of exposure to water. Although it’s considered impolite to ask strangers if they’re human or not, it’s an open secret that supernatural beings, while considerably fewer in numbers than humans, live among them.

 

Yuqi has pulled on a shirt over her bikini top by now. It hangs loose on her and is slowly getting damper by the second because of her hair. She rummages through the remaining pile of clothes they had dumped on a towel before diving in. “Uh . . . do you remember if I brought my ID?”

 

“I came here after you,” Yeri says, wincing when Yuqi gives up searching and pouts. Yeri turns around to scan the lake; she can make out tiny blobs bobbing in the water and more figures walking around the perimeter of the lake, but it’s hard to tell if any are a guard. There usually aren’t any guards around ( _especially_ this late at night) but it’s always safe to bring a school ID just in case they check for people’s status. They’re ruthless about it too—Yeri forgot her ID once and despite obviously not having legs while she was in water, they had fined her anyways.

 

“It’s nothing personal,” the guard had said apologetically, “but we just have to make sure no humans take advantage of this.”

 

Yeri had accepted the slip of paper with a bitter smile (and is _still_ a little bitter about it months later).

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t think there’s a guard out there anyways,” Yeri says as she clambers out. Yuqi squeals and looks away, blindly throwing a pair of shorts at Yeri. It lands in the water. Yeri groans and reaches out for it, careful to not get her legs wet again. “Wow, thanks.”

 

Yuqi still isn’t looking in her direction. “Sooyoung’s still out there, isn’t she?”

 

“Probably?” Yeri picks up her phone, squinting as it lights up. “She hasn’t texted us yet. And you can look now.”

 

There’s a concerned glint in Yuqi’s eyes. “Is it normal for her to be out this late? Are all werewolves—ah, sorry, wolf shifters—like this? I feel like I’ve never seen a wolf around campus and I’ve _definitely_ been out this late before. I think.”

 

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it.” Yeri smiles at Yuqi. “Don’t you have a 8 a.m.? You can go home first. I’ll bring her back.” Yeri always forgets that while she and Yuqi have been friends for a while now, Yuqi barely knows Sooyoung. Yeri had settled for a random roommate during her freshman year and thankfully, meshed well with Yuqi. They agreed to search for an apartment to live together for the next academic year but had kept putting the search off. She guessed that it was a good thing in the end because later on, Sooyoung, too caught up in partying and her determination to become Instagram famous, ended up having to stay an extra year because she was a few credits away from fulfilling the required number for graduating. Sooyoung eventually asked Yeri if she could room with them and Yuqi had taken it all in stride but Yeri still feels a little bad. Still, Yuqi tends to skip the “getting to know each other” stage of friendship so it’s not as awkward as it could be.

 

“If you say so.” Yuqi still looks a little reluctant but eventually waves and heads off towards their apartment.

 

Yeri crouches down to shove her towel into her drawstring bag. The restlessness that had threatened to overwhelm her has mostly subsided but she knows the only way to get rid of it fully, albeit temporarily, is to pay a visit to the Han River. She’s not like Yuqi, who’s able to adapt to any body of water and only needs the occasional dip to feel rejuvenated after long stretches of staying on land. Sirens are only satisfied by natural sources of water; Ilgam Lake and if Yeri’s desperate enough, the school’s swimming pool, are temporary solutions. Helpful for soothing the itch before it flares up again. Yeri’s probably going to have to make the trip down to Han River sometime next week but she tries not to think about it for now.

 

She stands up when she sees something flicker in the shadows. Golden eyes slowly open to meet her gaze. She doesn’t even flinch at the low growl, too used to the sound after spending many full moons with Sooyoung.

 

“Can you shift back?” Yeri asks softly.

 

Sooyoung steps out of the shadows, a massive grey wolf with her teeth bared but ears pulled back. Yeri waits patiently with Sooyoung’s clothes in her hands like an offering. The first few times Yeri had saw Sooyoung change during a full moon, it had been scary. Generally, wolf shifters retain their human minds in their wolf forms but their feral side takes over during full moons. Still, just like humans, supernatural beings aren’t inherently bad and wolf shifters in particular are harmless during full moons unless they’re provoked. It takes a while but then Sooyoung collapses, whimpering. There’s a sickening _crack_ and her bones start to rearrange. Yeri turns away; she _hates_ seeing Sooyoung in pain like this but wolf shifters have never been able to resist the call of the moon. She turns back when Sooyoung’s howl fades into something more feminine, something more human. Sooyoung’s still laying on the ground and Yeri silently helps her up. It’s a familiar routine: Sooyoung dressing herself while Yeri packs up the rest of their stuff.

 

Sooyoung’s the one who breaks the silence as she swipes at the tears staining her face roughly. “Let’s go home.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


“I swear my TA hates me,” Sooyoung says, for the hundredth time.

 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Yeri replies patiently, for the hundredth time. She rolls her shoulders back, wincing at how it aches; after their shared class, they had gone on an impromptu grocery trip run for healthy food (at Sooyoung’s insistence) and are now walking back with a bag of candy and chips (also at Sooyoung’s insistence). It’s not heavy, Yeri swears, but she’s just _really_ out of shape.

 

“He does! Why else would he call on me even though I clearly don’t know the answer?”

 

“Maybe so that you’ll pay attention in the future?”

 

“And he’s always giving me borderline grades. I’ve gotten a 79.99% on my last two assignments.”

 

Yeri frowns. “Well, I—” She breaks off, covering her mouth when she yawns. She got around three hours of sleep last night and she’s tired. Sooyoung must be even more tired but any signs of it is covered up by makeup and her need for ranting about her TA. “Go talk to him about it,” Yeri continues as they turn the corner.

 

Shops line both sides of the road they’re headed down; it’s mostly local businesses like boutiques and small restaurants. Her gaze lands on a coffee shop nestled in the corner, shop name almost covered by vines that hang over it: _Café Diem_ . She’s seen it before—it’s conveniently placed on the way to her apartment—but the prices they list on the chalkboard stand outside has always been enough for her to avoid it. She can already feel her wallet getting lighter, especially with their recent grocery trip, but the thought of a hot cup of coffee, no matter how overpriced it is, is _really_ appealing right now.

 

“Let's go in there,” Yeri says, nudging Sooyoung.

 

The wolf shifter groans but wordlessly follows Yeri into the shop. It’s cozy and like a hipster’s wet dream. Industrial pendant lights hang from the ceiling and glossy wooden tables and seating run parallel to the bar. There aren’t a lot of people in the shop—Yeri spots two people working on their laptops at one of the tables—and it reflects in the number of workers. The barista is leaning against the counter, the tip of his tongue poking out as he doodles something on a coffee cup. Yeri’s gaze is drawn to the guy standing behind the register though; he’s striking, with ashy grey hair and multiple silver piercings adorning his tanned skin. He’s playing with his lip piercing absentmindedly as he scrolls through something on his phone and it’s that, coupled with the unnatural amber hue to his eyes that tips Yeri off to what sort of creature he actually is.

 

 _A dragon shifter._ Yeri feels uneasy. Supernatural creatures are uncommon, shifters are rare and dragon shifters are rarer. Rumor has it that they have an affinity for shiny things, run abnormally hot and are possessive over their possessions. She turns to Sooyoung to voice her concerns—maybe they should go to another shop—but Sooyoung is already scanning the menu as she stifles a yawn.

 

“Can I get a large vanilla latte? With a pump of caramel? Or make that three.” Despite Sooyoung’s loud insistence that she’s a healthy eater, she also has a giant sweet tooth that’s especially amplified after full moons.

 

“Right.” The cashier is expressionless as he says, this but there’s a bit of judgement lacing his voice that Sooyoung easily catches.

 

She bristles and there’s a dangerous edge to her voice as she asks, “Is something wrong?”

 

“No,” the guy responds just as sharply. “But you do know that this is a coffee shop right? Not fucking Starbucks.” It’s clear by his widening eyes that he doesn’t mean to say that but before he can say anything, Sooyoung speaks up.

 

“Are you serious right now? You’re a _cashier_ , it’s your job to take my order however I want it, not be a pretentious asshole about it.”

 

His eyes flash. “I _know_ but what’s the point of going to a coffee shop and ordering a latte when you’re just going to drown it out with a bunch of syrup?”

 

“Just take the damn order—”

 

“I’ve already entered the fucking order—”

 

“Oh my god—Taehyung,” the barista loudly interrupts. Yeri nearly jumps at the interruption; he had been so quiet that she hadn’t noticed him walking up to the cashier. He jabs his pen into the Taehyung’s arm and the Taehyung huffs when it leaves a mark. “Stop taking your anger out on other people just because somebody broke into your apartment.”

 

“I _told_ Jimin we shouldn’t have taken the apartment on the first floor,” Taehyung groans, swiping a hand over his face roughly.

 

Sooyoung watches the exchange with an eyebrow raised. “Are you guys done chatting—”

 

“Add a flat white to that order.” Yeri’s the one to intervene this time. She blushes a little bit when all the attention is suddenly on her but shoves the grocery bag at Sooyoung regardless. “Here, you go find a seat. I’ll pay for the both of us..”

 

Taehyung exhales. “What’s your name?” he asks, completely ignoring Sooyoung.

 

“Yeri.”

 

“Do you want your receipt?” He holds it up, molten eyes still only on her.

 

Yeri opens her mouth to politely decline, but Sooyoung snaps _yes,_ already reaching out for the receipt. Sooyoung overestimates and hisses when her fingers brush against the silver ring Taehyung’s wearing.

 

He tilts his head but doesn’t comment on Sooyoung’s grimace. “We’ll call your name when it’s ready,” Taehyung dismisses. He returns his attention to his phone and when Sooyoung doesn’t move, Yeri grasps her arm and drags her to the nearest table.

 

“What the hell was that?” Yeri snaps.

 

There’s a strange look on Sooyoung’s face, like she’s caught between disbelief and joy, but then she shakes her head and slumps in her seat. “He started it.”

 

“You should have let it go,” Yeri says just as somebody calls out her name. “I’ll go get it.”

 

The barista pushes the two cups towards her as she approaches the counter. Yeri grabs two lids and hesitates when she sees that instead of the typical rosetta latte art, it’s something a bit more abstract. It’s pretty, she decides as she caps them, even if she can’t figure out what it is.

 

The thing is, Sooyoung’s actually a great girl. She just tends to be bitchy when she’s even remotely hungry but also happens to have a bottomless stomach. So.

 

“I’m not apologizing for my friend’s actions, because I don’t think she was entirely in the wrong. But I’m sorry for causing such a big commotion,” Yeri says and shoots the barista an apologetic smile. Her eyes drift a little south of his face to rest on the name tag hanging crooked from his apron. _Jungkook_. “Can you tell the cashier I said that?”

 

The corners of his lips quirk and her eyes linger on the dark ink curls out from under his neck. She meets his gaze and furrows her eyebrows when she notices his eyes, a kaleidoscope of colors. It’s enchanting and she doesn’t even realize that she’s staring until he clears his throat. “Got it.”

 

Yeri’s not a big fan of embarrassing herself so she leaves before her blush can intensify.

 

(If she had looked back, she would have noticed the way he glances at her under long lashes, something like confusion settling on his face.)

  
  
  
  
  
  


(The flat white is surprisingly good and Yeri can practically feel the tiredness melting away from her with each sip she takes. Still, it’s over six dollars for the drink and Yeri resolves not to come back so that she can spend that money on more important stuff like unnecessarily fancy pens and fuzzy socks.)

  
  
  
  
  
  


The walls aren’t even that thin but Yeri can hear the chorus of Hyuna’s Bubble Pop even before she opens the door. Yuqi is perched on the countertop next to the sink, humming along with a nearly empty tub of ice cream in hand. She looks up as Sooyoung moves to the kitchen to put away the stuff they bought. “You guys are back!”

 

“We bought candy and chips mostly,” Yeri admits. “Is that the last of the ice cream?”

 

“I bought another tub the other day but it’s green tea. I figured that even if it’s not healthier than coffee flavored ice cream, we can pretend that it is? Green tea is healthier than coffee right? It’s green.”

 

Yeri’s pretty sure the logic is flawed but she nods anyways.

 

“Hey grandma,” Yuqi continues when Sooyoung slowly lowers herself onto their couch with a load groan. “I’m taking your swimsuit top for the day. The blue goes better with my tail.”

 

Sooyoung makes a noise that sounds a lot like affirmation but it’s really hard to tell since her voice is muffled by the pillow she’s buried her face in. Yeri grabs a glass of water and sits down at their tiny dining table right as Yuqi turns off the music.

 

Yuqi clears her throat, looking at Yeri expectantly. “So . . .” she begins.

 

“Do you need help with anything?”

 

“Actually, yes! Chaeyoung sprained her ankle so we need another mermaid or siren or aquatic being, really, to—”

 

“Sorry,” Yeri interrupts. Yuqi works in this exhibit specifically for “bringing children’s dreams to life” where she essentially dons a pretty smile and interacts with children for the day. It opened up recently, around ten years ago, at Seoul Children’s Grand Park and she knows they’re always looking for more volunteers.

 

“The pay is _really_ good though and they give you food afterwards. Plus you get to make a lot of kids happy,” Yuqi quickly adds.

 

The thing is, Yeri’s not like Yuqi. She’s not as comfortable with sharing her supernatural background to strangers and she swore to herself a long time ago that she would stay as far away from water for as long as possible. She got relatively lucky with being a half siren. Mermaids are the lucky ones because they can choose whatever world they want to be in—on land or under water. Sirens are essentially bound to water; they can only be on land for short periods of time. The human in Yeri allows her to stay on land for longer and she’s learned to ignore the call but it’s inevitable that she returns to water. Without the occasional swim, she’d die. But the longer she stays in water, the harder it is for her to leave (and Yeri really, _really_ doesn’t want to live her life like that). “It’s not really my thing,” she eventually says despite Yuqi’s exaggerated puppy eyes. “I promise I’ll go see you there, though.”

 

Yuqi brightens up; she knows Yeri doesn’t take promises lightly. “I’ll hold you to that then,” Yuqi says and then drops her spoon in the sink and hops off the counter with an dramatic sigh. “Unfortunately, I have to go to practice now and watch Soojin and Jimin dance around each other.”

 

Sooyoung sits up, suddenly interested and Yeri snorts. Sooyoung has always loved gossip. “I thought you tried setting them up before and it didn’t work.”

 

“Well, that was because I accidentally texted the blind date location to Jaehyun instead of Jimin. But it’s fine! They’re practically soulmates; it has to work out eventually, right? I’ll keep you guys updated.”

 

Sooyoung is suddenly sent into a coughing spree just as Yuqi closes the door behind her and Yeri automatically goes up to give Sooyoung her half finished glass of water.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Sooyoung manages to cough out. Yeri frowns. Sooyoung’s still coughing a little, her eyes watery, and she refuses to meet Yeri’s eyes. Yeri just nods though and pats Sooyoung’s back; she knows Sooyoung will eventually tell her what’s going on.

  
  
  
  
  
  


A day later, Yeri gets a text:

 

_1:01 PM_

**sooyoung:** i have a crisis

_Seen._

 

_1:30 PM_

**yeri:** are you going to elaborate or?

_Seen._

 

_1:32 PM_

**sooyoung:** i think the guy from that coffee shop might be my soulmate??

_Seen._

**Author's Note:**

> also just to clarify this is not a soulmate!au!! that plotline is just unique to sooyoung


End file.
